As cultured as a Simon Elliot square pass

Brian Carroll

May 29, 2008

There was a lot going on yesterday, but I am still a little upset that I missed a chance to send a question to Brian Carroll. A transcript from his chat is up over at thecrew.com. I did see a question and answer that best sums up Carroll’s role on the team.

James from Columbus, OH Tactically speaking, what kinds of things has Coach Schmid told you he wants from your spot in the midfield?

Brian CarrollJust to communicate with the players around me, get them in the correct positions and make it difficult for the other team to get solid chances through the middle. Try to anchor the middle and get other players to play at their highest level.

I saw this communication early on in the friendly versus Metapan and he continues to make the midfield run. I also can’t count how many times he disrupts the opposing offense or is 10 yards from an Crew defender to provide an passing outlet. It is no secret that I am a fan of the understated way he goes about doing his job. He may not be flashy like Robbie Rogers or take the hits that Moreno does, and you may not notice him, but he does his job to make everyone around him better. I think the proof is in the results this year.